FORT MYERS — On the verge of pushing play on the 2014 season, the Red Sox and ace lefty Jon Lester have decided “to hit the pause button,” as general manager Ben Cherington said yesterday, on contract talks.

The Sox had several conversations in spring training with Lester and agent Seth Levinson, and although both sides characterized the talks as productive, not enough progress was made to warrant continuing into the early weeks of the season. It’s still possible talks will resume before Lester reaches free agency in November.

“Any time you go into a position like this you have to prepare yourself for something to not happen,” Lester said. “It was very encouraging, the stuff that was going on. But just where we’re at right now, it isn’t a good time to continue.”

Lester, who will start Opening Day tomorrow in Baltimore, didn’t want ongoing negotiations to serve as an in-season distraction. He said last week he would be willing to allow them to continue if the talks were “at the 5-yard line,” but it’s clear a gulf remains.

“If it was in the red zone we’d still be talking,” said Lester, who is believed to be seeking a five- or six-year deal worth more than $20 million per year. “We didn’t get to that point.”

The Red Sox faced a similar situation last year with second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who also is represented by the Levinson brothers. Negotiations on a contract extension began in spring training but a deal wasn’t reached until midway through the season, with an announcement coming in July.

But there was one notable difference: Lester is one year closer to free agency now than Pedroia was a year ago.

Could the talks with Lester follow a similar timeline?

“I suppose so,” Cherington said. “But each conversation’s different, each player’s different, each circumstance is different, and Jon has put himself in a good position. He’s a very good starting pitcher. He’s been consistent and durable, and he’s now a season away from free agency.

“Our desire remains to keep him here, and we’ll continue to have an open mind on ways to do that. But we just couldn’t get to anything during this spring training.”

Last week, Detroit Tigers ace Max Scherzer turned down an offer that reportedly was worth $144 million over six years and likely will head to free agency. Lester said this week that such a deal would’ve been “hard to walk away from.”

Lester and the Sox still seem inclined to not reach that point. If talks pick up again during the season, Lester said he won’t be as involved, deferring to his agents.

“It could be that we wait until the end of the season and pick it up then,” Cherington said. “That’s not the spirit of the conversation. There’s a shared desire to continue to talk at some point. We just don’t know when that’s going to be.”

Victorino hobbled

Just when the Red Sox thought they had emerged from spring training with a healthy lineup, right fielder Shane Victorino tweaked his right hamstring, casting doubt on whether he will be ready for Opening Day.

“I’ll be fine,” Victorino said directly, even defiantly, after a rain-shortened 7-4 loss to the Twins in the spring training finale. “I’ll be ready to go.”

But manager John Farrell said Victorino will undergo an MRI exam today, likely in Boston, to determine the severity of the injury. Meanwhile, rookie outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. will be “on call,” Farrell said, although he wasn’t scheduled to travel with the team last night to Baltimore.

Victorino felt a grabbing sensation in his hamstring as he rounded first base on a double in the third inning. He dealt with several lingering injuries last season, including soreness in his left hamstring.

“We’ll have more information once he’s examined,” Farrell said.

Papi’s set

David Ortiz was absent from the lineup for a second consecutive game, the Red Sox opting not to risk exacerbating the stiffness in his right calf by having him play in wet conditions at JetBlue Park. But Ortiz’ status for Opening Day isn’t in doubt.

“If we’re in the regular season, if this is Monday, he’s playing,” Farrell said.

Ortiz finished spring training with two hits and 13 strikeouts in 37 at-bats — and one nice contract extension. …

One month after slicing his left index finger with a fishing knife, right-hander Jake Peavy finished spring training with a 2.13 ERA after allowing one run in five innings yesterday. …

As expected, with lefty reliever Craig Breslow (shoulder strain) opening the season on the disabled list, right-hander Brandon Workman won the final seat in the bullpen.

Workman will pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen in order to keep his arm stretched out. Breslow can be activated as soon as April 5, but if he misses more than a few weeks, Workman likely will return to Triple A to resume starting.

Still, Workman will get to visit the White House with the Red Sox on Tuesday, a deserving honor considering he pitched in the World Series.

“I had a suit,” he said, “but I didn’t know what I was doing with it until yesterday.” …

Veteran right-hander Francisco Cordero was released after declining an assignment to Triple A. The 38-year-old former closer is expected to pursue other opportunities to pitch in the majors. …